A Sentimental Turnabout
by Sora M. IV
Summary: When Prosecuter Miles Edgeworth is shot after a day of work at the office, Phoenix Wright, a rugged and poor piano player, comes to his aid. It's been seven years and there is much to discuss and feelings to communicate... Happens after "Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney," but before "Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies."


Chapter 1

Hello everyone~! Wow umm, I'm really nervous hahahaha. This is my first time posting a fanfiction so I hope you guys enjoy it! It's NaruMitsu, and that means yaoi, but nothing too bad, really. I wrote this before Dual Destinies came back so it kind of ended up working out in the end, however, if there are some...contradictions...it would be because I had not yet played through the new release. I hope you enjoy, I don't own the PW series I just love it, that's all XD. Try to go easy on me please, much appreciated in advance! Thanks for all who read this!

Phoenix sat alone in the living room. His adopted daughter, Trucy was off with her half-brother, Apollo to see their mother. Phoenix, as mellow as he was, had no problem with this at all. It happened habitually since the famous Lamiroir, whose real name was Thalassa Gramarye, had revealed to them the truth of their relationship. And he would expect no less from them. But as soon as he was alone…

"It's been a while," he told himself, "Since I've seen him…" and his thoughts were thrown into the past. There was a certain person on his mind who he just couldn't seem to rid his thoughts of. When Phoenix was still in elementary school he was accused of wrongdoing. "…If it hadn't been for him," because of that man, Phoenix became an attorney. _Just to see him again._ But a lot had changed from when they were young. That man was haunted by a dark past. He became Phoenix's rival in court. He was the man who Phoenix believed was dead for over a year. He still remembered that day, when he was finally reunited with said man, "I… I never wanted to see you again…It'd been better for _everyone_ if you never came back from the dead…!" the words echoed within his mind. He couldn't help what he had said. After all the pain, the worry, the guilt that Phoenix had felt over the disappearance, the only thing he could communicate was anger towards him. He had hated him for disappearing, so while he had said all those horrible, scarring words he could never mean any part of it. _Because…_ Phoenix abruptly came back to the present, sighing and laying out on the sleep-inducing couch. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to look at the ceiling,

"Miles Edgeworth…" he laughed silently to himself, smiling, "If you saw me now you would think I live on the streets for a living." The smile slowly faded off of his face and his chocolate-brown eyes slowly grew distant. "Where are you now…?"

"…ad….dad…..Dad!" Trucy's voice was louder each time and eventually, Phoenix groaned and sat up.

"Hey Trucy, welcome back," he smiled groggily as he adjusted the turquoise beanie on his head. He managed to notice Apollo standing in his usual red, attorney outfit right next to Trucy. "Hello, Apollo."

"Hey, Mr. Wright. Sorry we woke you. I came back to deliver a message." Just as Phoenix began to ask, Apollo elaborated, "Before Trucy stopped by, I was working with Ema Skye on a current case. We got to talking and she mentioned a man by the name of Edgeworth?" Phoenix's eyes sparked with interest. Somehow the gifted, young defense attorney in red managed to miss this. He went on, "She told me she had seen him recently and that it would be great to see you again too….to talk of..scientific things." At this part, Phoenix could tell that what Apollo had to say was no longer significant; the last of the message was just a direct quote from Ema and that was determined by the mention of science.

"Thanks, Apollo. For your sake, I have no reply. I would hate to make you my messenger." Phoenix joked, smiling lazily at his pupil with dark brown eyes and hair, topped off with two spikes in the front.

Apollo returned the smile, "You're welcome, but," he hesitated, "who _is_ this Edgeworth?"

"A friend," He said as he grabbed the remote to his rather small TV and pressed the power button.

"Breaking news! Well known prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth was assaulted tonight while walking to his car. He was leaving work when he was attacked by a woman in her twenties. His attacker was almost immediately arrested and she will be charged for attempted murder…" Phoenix felt his heart stop. A hole began to form in what felt like his stomach. There was no noise. Nothing, but the sound of the reporters voices as they went on to talk of other things. That too began distort and fade into nothingness as he felt his legs give out from underneath him, causing him to sink onto the couch.

_Edgeworth…! _

Chapter 2

Phoenix ran as fast as his legs could carry him. At the mention of the attempted murder of his best friend he almost instantly decided to leave. There was not a doubt in his mind that he should do otherwise. Trucy, still a bit too young to be able to know how to handle such a situation, didn't have a lot to say. Apollo understood, the moment he saw Phoenix's reaction to the tragic news, what his mentor had to do and volunteered to take matters with his younger sister into his own hands, thus giving Phoenix the opportunity he needed. _Please, let him be alive! _Phoenix pleaded mentally. The news had been rather vague on Edgeworth's condition and since it was an attempted murder it could be possible that he was seriously injured and was, therefore, dying slowly. _It can't be! You can't! Edgeworth, you can't die!_ He fought the tears that stung his eyes as he ran to the bus stop. He couldn't cry; he didn't want to give in to that possibility. Fortunately for him, he happened to arrive at the bus stop at the exact time the bus did. He flew through the entrance as soon as he paid his fees, finding a spot located near the front. He sat forward in the seat, a tight grip on his pants. He didn't know what hospital Edgeworth would be in, but he knew, from the news report, where the crime had taken place. And that would get him somewhere. The drive to the prosecutor's office seemed to be the longest drive of his life. He found himself incapable of calming down, but there wasn't really a good reason _for_ him to. As soon as the bus reached his destination he exited without any hesitation. He proceeded into the building and to the elevator to reach the parking lot underground. He didn't have too much trouble getting in; after a second murder almost took place within the prosecution it was more than likely that the whole prosecution, as well as the police force, were in a panic. Besides, this wasn't the first time Phoenix had been there. The doors opened to reveal the parking lot and as he stepped out he could see the investigation was still underway. He doubted the parking lot had ever been this crowded all at one time. Looking around, he could see there were plenty of detectives, along with some prosecutors and, among them all there were a few he was familiar with. Including—

"It's you! I can't believe it! You're here, pal!" a rather large man in a green coat stood before Phoenix, his loud voice carrying throughout the entire parking lot. He had a pencil tucked behind his ear and he huffed from the intensity of the moment. His eyes were red and puffy, most likely a result of him crying for hours on end. Normally, Phoenix would regret running into this particular detective. Normally, this detective would tell Phoenix he wasn't allowed to be at the crime scene. This was different.

"Where is he?!" Phoenix asked almost desperately. "What hospital is he at?!" but before he could get his answer, a woman with a whitish-blue hair color and a whip in hand approached the two of them.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright," Franziska spoke calmly, yet her body language said otherwise. It was obvious that she was dealing with this in her own way; she was more enraged than sad. "I demand to know why you are here. You've left the world of justice and your friends along with it! And now, seven years later, after hearing of a tragic accident that happened to none other than Miles Edgeworth, your childhood friend, you wish to see him?!" by the end of the sentence she clearly lost composure. She readied her whip, directing it at Phoenix, but he didn't budge, nor react.

"You're accusing me of a crime…when you don't have all the evidence. The truth is you don't know the whole story, Franziska. And until you do, _if_ you ever find out, you have no right to judge me," this was surprising coming from Phoenix; he normally tried to keep the peace. But not now. "Tell me where he is!" he demanded. Both Franziska and Gumshoe were taken aback by his sudden aggressiveness but before Franziska could say anything a man with horn styled, maple brown hair approached the three of them. His eyes matched his hair color and he wore a black, leather jacket, with a golden dragon and a fur trim, and his pants, black with what appeared to be a dragon skeleton up the sides of his legs, his outfit finished off by a pair of long, black boots. The man looked serious, or rather, he was gritting his teeth together, and the ex-defense attorney could've sworn he heard a literal growl coming from him.

"A man who's only there for a companion when he's seriously injured?! Let me tell you something, mutt! I came over here all the way from Zheng Fa just to see Mr. Edgeworth! I'm here to bring justice to the one who did this to him! I may not be able to do much, considering this isn't my country, but I'm assisting in any way I can! _That's_ what a _real_ companion does!" he barked as he stomped his foot threateningly at Phoenix and then it dawned on him. Ears, not horns. It was evident the man was done talking with Phoenix because he held his head high as he looked to Franziska and Gumshoe, "Let's get back to work, shall we? This disturbance," he gestured to the retired attorney, "has wasted enough of our time." And with that, he and Franziska walked away, turning their attention back to the investigation. At this point in time, Phoenix didn't know what to do. Coming to the crime scene to find out Edgeworth's location was his whole purpose for being there. He felt defeated by the negativity that had been directed at him, however he wasn't about to give up his search that easily. After all, he didn't expect anyone to understand his logic in the first place.

"Hey," his thoughts were interrupted by Gumshoe, who had been standing there the whole time. He looked like he pitied Phoenix for getting so ruthlessly scolded, but he also had a look of understanding on his face, "Mr. Edgeworth is at the Hotti Clinic."

"G-Gumshoe…!" Phoenix was shocked that Gumshoe had given him this information. He knew that if Franziska, and maybe even that canine-like man, found out he leaked out the information to Phoenix, she would punish him severely. That could be the last bit of his salary that just went down the drain.

"Don't worry about me, pal!" for once he was talking in a hushed voice, "I know that right now, you may be the only one who can help Mr. Edgeworth. He hasn't seen you in seven years. Seeing you now will give him something to be positive about. And that's just what he needs…"

"Gumshoe…Thank you." Phoenix said the words from the bottom of his heart, "I _will_ get to the bottom of this." He referred to the culprit of the crime and her motive for doing it. And while he was well aware there wasn't much to this case to solve, he meant what he said. He needed to find out what happened. _For my sake…_ and without any further delay, Phoenix left the Prosecutor's Office.

Chapter 3

"Edgeworth!" Phoenix nearly yelled as he barged into the assigned room. Gumshoe had told Phoenix the room Edgeworth was in, so he didn't have to ask for assistance to find him. Edgeworth was wide awake and was a bit startled at his past court rival's entrance. He might've thought it was Detective Gumshoe who had entered the room, had it not been the voice that accompanied the loud entrance. He looked to Phoenix in disbelief,

"….Wright…?!" he managed to get the name out of his mouth. His eyes followed Phoenix's movements as he came to stand at his bedside.

"Edgeworth, I came as soon as I heard the news! Just what happened to you?!"

By this time, Edgeworth had regained his composure and he scoffed, "What does it look like, Wright? I was shot. You did say you heard the news…didn't you?"

"Dammit, Edgeworth! That's not what I meant and you know it!" he looked at his hospitalized friend. He looked just the same as ever; still smug. When he talked; still arrogant. He looked over to a nearby armchair in the corner of the room. Edgeworth's usual scarlet colored suit was folded neatly on the chair, his cravat resting on top of it. Nothing about Edgeworth had changed. Nothing at all. _Only…_ Phoenix looked back at his friend.

"Weren't you ever taught that it's very rude to stare?" Edgeworth asked. There was something about him that was different. Obviously he had been shot, so that was one thing, but there was something else too. And it didn't take long for Phoenix to catch it; when Edgeworth received no reply from Phoenix he began to question the silence, only for them to lock eyes with each other. A second later, Edgeworth had averted his gaze, directing his eyes toward the clinic floor. But it was too late; Phoenix had already seen everything he needed to get an answer to his own question. Phoenix couldn't possibly forget just how distant the prosecutor's eyes were. They were so lifeless they were almost black.

"Edgeworth, tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened," his answer was short and quick, still avoiding eye contact. Phoenix slammed his hands down on Edgeworth's bedside, causing his eyes to fly up to meet a rather persistent Phoenix Wright. He winced at the glare he was being given.

"Both you and I know that that's not the truth," he stared Edgeworth down, waiting for an answer. After a pause, he replied,

"I have nothing to discuss with you, Wright. And considering that you are no longer working for the law, I'd say you have no way of making me talk." After hearing this, Phoenix lost his breath. Edgeworth was refusing to tell Phoenix, his childhood friend, about his near death experience. He fought to control his emotions, and only stopped when he heard Edgeworth continue, "Besides…you still have secrets you happen to be hiding from me as well."

_So _that's _the way it is…_ Phoenix's hands balled up into fists as he reluctantly pulled away from the bed to exit the room. He reached the door and grabbed the knob, "It's good to know you're okay," and, without looking back, he left Edgeworth to himself. He leaned up against the wall outside the room, tilting his head toward the ceiling and closing his eyes. So far all of his efforts were wasted. But he wouldn't give up. It was too late to do anything right now, though. He would go home and rest, knowing that, at the very least, Edgeworth was alive.

Chapter 4

Phoenix walked into the clinic the next morning, feeling more determined than ever. He had asked for Apollo's assistance in order to find out the truth to this whole incident and that alone had given him renewed hope. So when he came to Edgeworth's room, he stood tall, took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Before he could proceed, however, the door was opened for him a crack. All he could see was one eye peeking through the door at him,

"What's the password?!" came a female voice from behind the door. Phoenix could vaguely hear protest coming from Edgeworth in the background.

"Uuh…Miles Edgeworth is the best prosecutor ever?" Phoenix took a wild guess and the door swung open to reveal a young woman with long, black hair and green eyes. She wore a blue scarf with a pink top, with what appeared to be a cloud-like design on it, a short black skirt and boots. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail in a rather complicated fashion and she had, what looked like a key going through it.

"Close enough!" she grinned. Phoenix glanced over at his bedridden friend, who happened to be reasonably embarrassed over the whole matter. "And who might you be?!" she asked.

"Umm, hello. My name is Phoenix Wright. I'm uhh…" he stopped, looking toward his friend again who was now looking at him. Phoenix wasn't sure what they were anymore. He didn't know if Edgeworth considered him a friend now. "I'm just a pianist," he confessed, but went on, "Edgeworth here knows me from somewhere else though. He and I used to be rivals in court. And he's lost to me every single time!" he announced proudly, something he normally wouldn't do. But if it would get a reaction out of Edgeworth then he was willing to do anything at this point in time. Just like he thought, Edgeworth's eye twitched as he glared over at him.

"We have yet to settle the score, Wright," he snapped, obviously feeling well enough to make a comeback.

"Mr. Edgeworth, is this the 'certain defense attorney' I've heard you mumbling about in our cases together?!" she said as she turned to the prosecutor. His face was flushed and he refused to answer the question. She turned back to Phoenix, "It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Wright! I've heard and read so much about you! My name is Kay Faraday!"

"Nice to meet you too, Kay, but, how exactly have you…'read' so much about me?" he asked apprehensively.

"Well after hearing Mr. Edgeworth mumbling enough about 'him' and 'a certain defense attorney' and 'the man in blue' I decided to look into this mystery guy, so I stole the truth from Mr. Edgeworth!"

"You _what_?!" Phoenix was sure he misheard her answer but Edgeworth's frustrated groan and his death grip on his bed sheets told him otherwise.

"Oh I forgot to tell you! I am the Great Thief, The Yatagarasu!" she pointed her thumb towards herself proudly before continuing on, "and it's my job to steal the truth so I found out about you from Edgeworth whether he told me willingly or not! He has a lot of stuff in the office about you, you know? There was one time I found this book"—

"That is quite enough, Kay!" Edgeworth protested. Phoenix found himself flattered over what Kay was telling him about. It seemed to motivate him. _Maybe what Gumshoe told me was right. Maybe I _can_ help him._ Phoenix turned his attention to Edgeworth, who now appeared horrified by her words, a drop of sweat running down his cheek. Phoenix grinned, deciding to leave his friend in his current mental state.

"So, Kay, since you're here visiting Mr. Edgeworth, I would assume that you know whether or not the hospital's given him breakfast yet? Or maybe you brought him"—

"I've already eaten," Edgeworth interrupted, obviously trying to keep Phoenix from finding out anything else he didn't want him to know.

"Oh ok then I guess I will just have to find someone else who wants this. I'll be back, Edgeworth, don't you worry," he snickered at the sarcastic remark he gave.

"That's hardly necessary," he retorted, however keeping his answer short.

"Oh! I'll go with you, Mr. Wright! I wouldn't want you to get lost! I have the layout of this place inputted into Little Thief!"

"Gnnrk!" Edgeworth's horrified expression had returned to him. Phoenix was getting a kick out of this; Kay continued to tell him things Edgeworth obviously had wanted to keep a secret.

"Little what, now?" Phoenix encouraged her to continue.

"Kay, don't you dare!" Edgeworth growled.

"No worries, Mr. Edgeworth!" and with that, the two left his room.

"So, Kay, you work together with Edgeworth on some cases?" Phoenix inquired.

"Yup! Well with Mr. Edgeworth, and Gummy too!"

"Gummy? You mean Gumshoe?" he made an inference off of what he knew. Gumshoe always worked with Edgeworth, and "Gummy" sounded awful close to his name.

"Yeah! The three of us work together! Sometimes Ms. Von Karma works with us as well. And every now and then, Wolfy will come here for something or another and help out!"

"The guy with the dragon on his jacket?"

"Yeah, him! You met him already?! Or did you already know him?"

"Well I already knew Gumshoe and Franziska, but I had never met that man before in my life until last night…he seems determined to hate me."

"That's alright! That's just the way Wolfy is! He was like that with Mr. Edgeworth too for a good while! But he's really a good guy!"

_She says that like she's talking about superheroes and villains._ Phoenix and Kay had walked their way to the entrance, but he wasn't done with asking his questions. "Kay, you said before that you're the Great Thief, Yatagarasu and that you steal the truth…is that all you steal?"

"Weeell.." she thought, "jewelry's nice too, but stealing the truth is my specialty! If someone is getting away with something unforgivable, the Yatagarasu will be there to reveal the truth!"

"In that case, Kay, I need your help. I need to find out why Edgeworth's attacker tried to kill him. Edgeworth won't tell me anything…but as his friend it is my business to know too! I talked to Franziska and that guy you told me about, and they wouldn't even allow me to visit Edgeworth…so I won't be able to get near the crime scene either. I already have a defense attorney who works for me, helping out. His name is Apollo Justice. So if you could, maybe work behind the scenes or something…I just..I _have_ to know!" Kay listened to his plea for help and, after a few moments of consideration, she said,

"I will help you, Mr. Wright. I can see how much you care about Mr. Edgeworth, though it seems like it's not reaching anyone else. But you know what? The truth will be revealed and once it is you will no longer be misunderstood!" she took a swing at the air with her gloved fist, looking pumped and ready to go. Phoenix looked at her, eyes full of hope,

"So you'll really help me, then?!" he was happy to know that someone was willing to help.

"Of course! And I'm sure I can get Gummy to help out too! Don't you worry about a thing, Mr. Wright! I'll report my findings directly to you!" she turned on her heel to run out the door.

"W-wait a minute, where are you going?!"

"The truth awaits, Mr. Wright!" she continued on out the door.

"HOLD IT!" Phoenix yelled, bringing Kay to a halt. She looked stunned at his words; they were just like what Edgeworth would say. "I brought Edgeworth breakfast, but he had already eaten. And I ate before I came here…so if you're going to see Gumshoe, could you give this to him?" he held out a paper bag for her to take. She stepped forward and took it from him,

"Can do! But one thing: how do you know _I_ already ate?"

"Edgeworth's reaction when I mentioned breakfast was a dead giveaway." She smiled at his reply, then disappeared through the doors.

Chapter 5

Phoenix walked back into the room by himself, noticing Edgeworth's confusion at Kay's disappearance. He waited for Edgeworth to ask, but when he failed to do so, he realized he was too proud to. He would rather keep Phoenix in the dark about his friendship with a thief than to ask about her well-being.

"I would never have considered you to be the type to partner up with a thief," Phoenix pushed the subject.

"A lot has changed since we last saw each other, Wright," he stated vaguely.

"Well you don't appear to have changed _too_ much," Phoenix pointed out.

"Unlike you; I leave you alone and now look at you. You've become a…" he looked him over. Phoenix wore a baby blue beanie with a smiley face pin and the word "Papa" written on it in fuchsia. This hid the current state of his hair which, Edgeworth was sure was unkempt, judging by the five o' clock shadow Phoenix now had around his mouth. For his clothing he wore a gray jacket with blue stripes down the arms and black pants, with sandals for shoes. There was no other way to put it. Phoenix had become a… "vagabond." Edgeworth was blunt, but he always chose his vocabulary carefully.

"What can I say? I'm a pianist and I'm bad at my job." He shrugged nonchalantly, "But you, Edgeworth, have always seen things in black and white. Either someone was guilty, or someone was innocent. Someone was a criminal, or someone was a victim. So the fact that you, of all people, can befriend a great thief shows that there has been some change in you."

"You don't know the whole story, Wright," Edgeworth spoke inaudibly, however Phoenix caught the words.

"Then tell me, Edgeworth! Quit pushing me away! I'm your friend aren't I?!"

"If you're my friend then where have you been all this time?!" Edgeworth shouted, looking straight into Phoenix's eyes for an answer. Phoenix fell silent at this; he realized now that the reason Edgeworth wouldn't tell him anything is because he was upset at hearing or seeing nothing of his past rival for seven years straight. But Phoenix had his reasons, so he wouldn't give in to guilt.

"You can say whatever you want to me…but I won't give up until you tell me what happened, Edgeworth!" he looked right back into the injured man's eyes, challenging him. After what seemed like a whole minute of their staring contest, Phoenix's eyes dropped down to Edgeworth's cradled left arm. It overwhelmed him with sadness and it obviously showed because as he pulled up a chair to sit by Edgeworth's side, he noticed said person watching him anxiously. He understood why; Phoenix was never really one to show sadness in front of his friends, and the rare occasions that he did, Edgeworth was never there to see it. So, naturally, he didn't know how to handle the situation. "So, where were you shot…was it your arm or…?"

"It was my shoulder…" he answered, feeling he deserved to know at least that much after having seen the pain and sadness written on his face. It then fell silent. Phoenix couldn't help but think about what that meant. His injury…it was… "Ironic isn't it?" Edgeworth spoke up, "That I would end up with a gunshot to the shoulder. It's almost as though it were fate. That Franziska and I are meant to be imprisoned by the darkness that man left over us for eternity…and me, I will forever be a prisoner of my own past that is tied to that."

"You're wrong," Phoenix knew that that was exactly the way Edgeworth would think. "It's just a coincidence. You aren't like him, neither of you are. You're different." Edgeworth listened, puzzled at Phoenix's words. "And another thing," he took advantage of the silence, "you won't be consumed by your past, Edgeworth. I won't allow you to. I'll make sure of that…!"

"Wright…!?" Edgeworth was astonished by the sudden passion Phoenix showed over him. However, it did not last very long. "Frankly, I fail to see how you will 'make sure of that' because you aren't around enough to do so." Phoenix winced at his brutal reply, but knew better than to let it get to him too much. _Dammit, Edgeworth, you have the frickin' Great Wall of China in front of you!_ But he would not show him any signs of defeat. He had Kay on his side, now, who apparently is a personal friend of Edgeworth's. Not to mention, Apollo. And maybe even Gumshoe. There was no way he would fail. And until he found out information on the case, he would remain there, with Edgeworth, right by his side.

"Say what you want, Edgeworth, but I think you know as well as I do that we have some catching up to do." Edgeworth grinned at Phoenix's words,

"I concur. So, Wright, since you made the suggestion, why don't you start us off?" he pointed his right index finger in Phoenix's direction, wiggling it in a way that reminded the so-called pianist much of his childhood, when a teacher would lecture a child for getting into trouble.

"Nice try, Edgeworth, but my story could go on for ages so I think it'd be best to start with yours." Phoenix watched as Edgeworth began to protest, only to cut him off, "It shouldn't matter much to you, right? Because, after all, you _are_ hospitalized. You have enough time on your hands to guarantee we both get through our stories. And you can bet I won't be going anywhere anytime soon." And so, after a long silence, Edgeworth began to tell of his adventures to Phoenix. The conversation had proved to be longer than expected, which made Phoenix feel good about himself; Edgeworth was actually talking freely about himself to him. Finally, they were getting somewhere. He soon discovered that Edgeworth's unification with a thief had to do with the fact that Kay had also lost her defense attorney father at a young age. He also learned that the man referred to by Kay as "Wolfy" was an Interpol agent by the name of Shi-Long Lang, who had worked with Edgeworth on occasion, and that Edgeworth had been going around with them, as well as Gumshoe and Franziska, investigating crime scenes to find out the truth, all of which had taken place before Phoenix even disappeared. It was obvious now, that Edgeworth's way of thinking had changed. Finding the truth was all he cared about now, which made Phoenix wonder, _What made him change like this?_ After all those investigations, however, not much had changed in Edgeworth's life. Sure he had met new people, gone through more life changing experiences, but none compared to what Phoenix had.

"I believe it is now your turn, Wright," Edgeworth wasted no time. He wasn't about to let Phoenix off the hook after he had just told him his own story. Not that Phoenix would ever dream of it.

"Right, I haven't forgotten," he said with a sigh. But just before he could begin his long tale, a teenage girl wearing a light blue top hat and cape with a black dress on underneath and white boots, invited herself into the room.

"I brought lunch for you and your friend, daddy!" Trucy chimed.

Chapter 6

Phoenix cursed under his breath. He was afraid of this. Edgeworth hadn't heard his story yet and now, he would jump to conclusions. He looked to the man in the hospital bed to see his expression. Trucy's words seemed to still be processing in his mind, which was abnormal for Edgeworth; he had a sharp mind that naturally processed information swiftly. Apollo had walked in behind Trucy and greeted the two older men. Trucy dug through a large paper bag she held, pulling out a bento box and handing it to Edgeworth,

"Here you go! That's yours, Mr. Edgeworth!" she smiled genuinely, setting it gently onto his lap. He thanked her, now focusing on what she was about to call Phoenix. She walked over to who she considered to be her father, even with what she knew now. "And here's _yours_, daddy!" there it was again. That word. Phoenix knew that this time Edgeworth would _know_ he heard correctly, since he had been listening just for that.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met before," Edgeworth looked at both Apollo and Trucy, he wanted more information.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Apollo apologized, flustered at his evident absence of manners. "I'm Apollo Justice, defense attorney. I work for Mr. Wright at his agency."

"And I'm Trucy Wright, daughter of Phoenix Wright, and professional magician! It's nice to meet you, Mr. Edgeworth! When daddy heard that you had been injured the other day, he left almost immediately! You two must be really good friends!" Edgeworth looked to Phoenix, his expression grave and unforgiving,

"Really? I wasn't aware that we were. Did you know of this, Wright?" bitter sarcasm saturated his entire sentence and Phoenix failed to answer.

"Well I hope you enjoy your lunch! Mr. Wright, if there's anything else you need me to do for you just give me a call okay?" Apollo said, sensing they were no longer welcome and gesturing to Trucy. After saying her goodbyes and giving her dad a hug she left, Apollo following closely behind.

"How old is she?" Edgeworth asked after the two of them were alone again.

"…she's fifteen." Phoenix answered hesitantly, watching as the prosecutor's expression changed to that of anger, horror and shock.

"…so then, when exactly did you find out you had a child?" Edgeworth clenched his teeth, his anger slowly but surely emerging through his voice.

"Edgeworth, I know when I say this it just makes it more suspicious but, it's not what you thi"—

"Like _hell_ it's not what I think! What else could it be, Wright?!" he ripped off his sheets, his lunch crashing to the ground, and he got to his feet for the first time since Phoenix had been there. Phoenix was speechless at Edgeworth's sudden outrage. He had never seen him behave like this before. He looked into his eyes and beneath the anger, beneath all the surfacing emotions he was displaying, he saw something else…excruciating pain. "You had to have been _eighteen_ when she was born! You're telling me all this time, you didn't know about her?!"

"It's no different than you keeping Kay a secret from me is it?! _I_ didn't react like this when _I_ found out about _her_!"

"That is an altogether different situation, Wright! We're talking about a _child_ here! You had a _child_, Wright! …..and you never even bothered to tell me!" the pain that Phoenix had foreseen in Edgeworth's expression was now beginning to present itself within his words; Edgeworth felt betrayed. He looked away now, down at the floor, the emotional pain overwhelming him. "There was something…something between you and that Iris woman before wasn't there? Is she the mother…?" Phoenix got up now, taking but a step to draw nearer to Edgeworth. He rested his hand on his good shoulder,

"Edgeworth, stop thinking about it, okay? You're going off of what you know. Drawing conclusions from that little bit will get you nowhere. You're going to upset your stomach if you keep this up. Just, please…sit down? I swear I'll tell you everything, but if you don't calm down, it won't matter what I say, you won't hear me." Phoenix received no reply, "Edgeworth…" he begged, and he responded with his body language; his dejected expression softened into one of surrender and his clenched right fist eased up. At this, Phoenix slowly and carefully moved him to sit back onto his bed. He put in Edgeworth's lap, his own lunch, which seemed to leave an impression on the prosecutor. Phoenix then cleaned up and disposed of the spilled contents on the floor and sat back down in the chair next to the bed, "As much as I consider her my daughter, I am not Trucy's biological father. She, and Apollo, who happens to be her half-brother, were tied to the case that decided my fate as an attorney seven years ago." It was now, that Phoenix began his story.

Chapter 7

Edgeworth stared at Phoenix, the halfway devoured bento box that was now his, sitting in his lap. His mind was flooded with information. He thought over everything: how Trucy became Phoenix's daughter, how Apollo became a defense attorney eventually under Phoenix's supervision, how Phoenix lost his job all thanks to a defense attorney known as Kristoph Gavin…

"You were disbarred?" he finally decided on his question.

"Yes, I was," a short reply. Phoenix had been wrongly accused of falsifying evidence by Kristoph Gavin and as a result, was disbarred. Knowing that, he had planned out a way to expose the lies Kristoph had been telling, which took all of seven years to achieve. He had waited that long for justice to be served.

"Why…?" Edgeworth began his next question, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because," Phoenix looked at his watch and noticed the time. He stood up and looked towards the door, "I couldn't." He exited the room. He headed for the entrance to the clinic to rendezvous with Kay. Apollo had slipped a piece of paper into his bento box sometime before he received it and, before he had given it to Edgeworth, discovered it, scanned its contents and hid it away all while Edgeworth had been emotionally occupied. They had some information for him and on the paper were written instructions to meet Kay outside the Hotti Clinic at 6 pm sharp. Sure enough, she was there, waiting for him.

"Long time no see, Mr. Wright!" she joked as she jumped up from a nearby bench. Apollo and Trucy were there with her, which came as a surprise to Phoenix.

"You didn't tell me in the note that you'd be here too," he spoke to Apollo, who scratched the back of his head, laughing sheepishly.

"Yeah, well since I did assist in finding the evidence and Trucy had been along for the ride, as usual, I figured we should be here too!"

"Does that mean that Gumshoe's here too?" he asked, looking around for the big detective that shouldn't be hard to miss.

"Gummy couldn't come because he's working with Franziska and he didn't want her to suspect anything," Kay answered, "But he _did_ help us!"

"That's great!" Phoenix smiled hopefully. "What did you guys find out?!"

"Well, because I'm a defense attorney and, with Gumshoe's assistance, we were able to check out the crime scene once everything cleared up down there. Detective Gumshoe also gave us some information on the case. Most of it had to be noted because they need the evidence for the case. Apparently the girl who had shot Mr. Edgeworth in the parking lot was related to Mr. Edgeworth's most recent case in court."

"The girl's name was Brooke Inharte and only 20 years old." Kay added forlornly. "She was the girlfriend of Bill Hungary, 27, who Mr. Edgeworth had found guilty in court earlier that day."

"After that, Ms. Inharte personally asked to speak to Mr. Edgeworth, later that night in his office." Trucy continued the explanation.

"But when that time came," Apollo picked up where Trucy left off, "her true intentions were revealed."

"This whole case is pretty straight forward, then," Phoenix said, reflecting over everything he was just told,_ But if that's true, then why is Edgeworth trying to hide it from me? Surely he knows that I can easily find out…_ Kay stepped forward to interrupt his thoughts.

"Here are pictures of both Bill Hungary and Brooke Inharte. Apollo also got a testimony from Ms. Inharte and we have it written down for you," she handed him their findings, "Mr. Wright, this was all I could muster up for you, _because_ this case is very straight and to the point. Mr. Edgeworth survived the incident, making this whole case easy to solve, even I can see that…but even though it may not have been hard to find out this information, it will be tough getting Mr. Edgeworth to talk. That much I know for sure. Good luck." She smiled.

"Thank you, Kay, Apollo, and my adorable daughter, Trucy." He smiled at all of them, showing his gratitude, a smile both Apollo and Trucy hadn't witnessed from him before. By now, though, they had seen a lot of characteristics in Phoenix, all dragged out from this case alone, they had never seen before; it was something they were getting used to. Phoenix bid them farewell and, as they left for the night, he stopped Kay, having one more thing to tell her, "I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Wright! You're already doing me a favor! You're saving Mr. Edgeworth!" he found himself questioning the meaning of her words but, before he could ask, she had already disappeared into the night. He smiled to himself, looking off into the distance.

_Kay, I'm not quite sure what you mean by that, but don't you worry. I _will_ save him! _He headed back to Edgeworth's room, ready to finally find out the truth behind all this. Not the case itself, but Edgeworth's refusal to tell him what happened and why his eyes looked so distant.

"Alright, Edgeworth! Time for you to"— he stopped the rest of his words from escaping his mouth as he walked into the room. He looked, startled, at the scene before him. It was a scene unlike he had ever envisioned or witnessed for that matter. He closed the door quietly behind him, turning the knob back towards the end to lessen the noise, and sat down slowly and quietly in his chair to stare at the man before him. Sometime while Phoenix was gone, Edgeworth had fallen into a sound sleep. His bed had still been at an incline, so he was practically sleeping sitting up, but it was far back enough to where he wouldn't slump over. He looked like he might have been deep in thought when he nodded off, judging by the way his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. His head was tilted forward and to the right ever so slightly, his mouth open just enough to allow him to breathe through it. Here he was, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, haughty, proud, withdrawn and blunt, now harmless, innocent and actually quite charming. _It can wait 'til tomorrow, _Phoenix smiled to himself and was soon taken into the arms of slumber as well.

Chapter 8

When Phoenix came to the next morning, Edgeworth was gone. It didn't worry him though; he was probably just getting a checkup from the doctor. _Actually, he might be getting discharged sometime soon,_ Phoenix thought to himself, trying not to get his hopes up. Then it occurred to him, _Edgeworth probably saw me sleeping!_ He felt the color flood to his face as he thought about the whole matter. What did Edgeworth think? Would he tease him? Did he even notice? But then he remembered the task at hand and prompted himself to calm down. He sat down, waiting for Edgeworth to return. He was ready to face Edgeworth now. He had everything he needed to do so. Sitting there, he found himself as nervous about confronting Edgeworth as he had been his very first day in court. He laughed nostalgically to himself. _So much has changed since then…_ After about 30 minutes, Edgeworth's bed was rolled back into his room, confusing Phoenix altogether when he found the temporary owner of the bed to be missing. Once the nurse had entered the room, however, Edgeworth walked in after her, holding his head, and his chest, high. Phoenix should've known Edgeworth would insist on walking; he was too proud to be carted around by another person.

"Welcome back, Wright," Edgeworth said sarcastically. It was almost as if nothing had happened between them before Phoenix had left.

"I think that's my job to say that to you, after all I made it back here before you did." Phoenix played along. If that's what Edgeworth wanted, he had no problem giving that to him at the moment. He _was_ at a most vulnerable state, despite how he carried himself.

"Excuse me, but are you a close friend of Mr. Edgeworth?" the nurse inquired.

"Why, yes, I am!" Phoenix answered gladly, before Edgeworth could answer for him. He watched from his peripheral vision as the prosecutor's eye twitched in agitation. That was exactly the reaction he had wanted.

"Oh, good! You see, Mr. Edgeworth is now ready to be discharged from the hospital, however his injury is still severe enough that it's necessary for him to have…" she glanced at Edgeworth before whispering into Phoenix's ear, "supervision." Edgeworth was standing nearby, trying to listen in on the conversation without being obvious.

"Okay, I understand, I've got this." He assured her and she thanked him before hustling out of the room.

"What did she say?" Edgeworth asked, forcing himself to sound indifferent.

"You're coming home with me!" Phoenix declared cheerfully.

"What?! You must be joking!"

"Nope! I'm not. It'll be lots of fun, like a sleepover!" Phoenix teased, all for the satisfaction of pestering his best friend.

"I refuse to engage in such activities at a place such as yours! Based off of what you've told me about your sorry excuse for a job, I would be better off staying over at _Gumshoe's_ house!"

"Ouch, that hurts Edgeworth! But you know what? If you hadn't depleted his paycheck then maybe you wouldn't mind staying at his house."

"Grrk!" Edgeworth was tongue tied. But Phoenix didn't stop there,

"Even if he _did_ have a better paycheck though, you still wouldn't stay with him because you wouldn't be able to stand it, would you?" Edgeworth was stopped again by his words. "You aren't allowed to leave here without acknowledgement of some sort of supervision. So, with that in mind, who would you rather stay with? Me? Or him? I'm sure he won't mind having you over." He said the last part cynically; the truth was, if Gumshoe ever knew Edgeworth needed a place to go he would jump on the opportunity. And he _would_ think it was a slumber party.

"Nnghooooh!" Edgeworth cried in defeat. "…Fine. I choose to be under your supervision, Wright, but let me make one thing perfectly clear. We stay at my house." Phoenix was shocked at the proposal, but nodded nonetheless. "And! While you are amongst me, I require that you keep up your hygiene. Your five o' clock shadow is not welcome in my home." Edgeworth shook his right index finger at him, grinning triumphantly.

"Okay, I accept. Are you ready to go now or"—

"Are you sane in the head, Wright?!" Edgeworth looked appalled, "I will _not_ be seen in this hospital gown! I may not have had any say in it at the time, but now that we'll be departing, I can make that decision for myself!"

"But, those are your clothes from when you were shot! They still have your blood on it!" at the mention of that day, the argument ceased. He shouldn't have brought it up. He hadn't been thinking. But what he said had been true. Edgeworth had no change of clothes on him. He watched as Edgeworth took out his cellphone and made a phone call.

"Gumshoe, I need you over here with a change of clothes immediately," and without saying anything else, he hung up. The poor detective. "Problem, solved." He said shortly. _But now we have to wait,_ Phoenix thought to himself, _now…now…I have to do it _now_!_

"Edgeworth, I know about what happened to you that night. I know what you're hiding and I'll prove it to you right now!"

Chapter 9

Edgeworth's face was serious. He looked at Phoenix, "Wright, I believe you may have forgotten that I am the victim of the case, not the suspect."

"I _haven't_ forgotten!" Phoenix objected. "_Because_ I haven't forgotten, I refuse to let it go like nothing happened! I know you probably think I don't care, Edgeworth…but I do! Why else would I be here?!" When Edgeworth said nothing, he continued on, "Why am I the only one who doesn't know about what happened with you and that girl?!"

"Because that is personal information, that's why. You don't need to know"—

"The incident was broadcast on the _news_! I _hardly_ call that personal! Everyone we know knows what happened, except for me, your _friend_! Even if you don't consider me that, I don't care! You're still a friend to _me_ and that's reason enough for me to know!"

"…If you don't know what happened that night, then I have no intention of telling you."

"You don't have to come right out and tell me! Edgeworth, you were the victim, but you survived! Meaning that no matter how you look at it you're going to have to testify on this matter sooner or later. Think about it this way; you can settle your score with me right here and now!" Edgeworth's expression went from surprise to suppressed pain. He looked away, smiling dejectedly.

"Alright then, I can agree to that." Phoenix took a deep breath out of relief and also to settle his nerves. This is where it would begin,

"Miles Edgeworth," he made eye contact with Phoenix at the mention of his full name, "Would you tell us about the events that took place the night you were shot?" he was well aware that it was only the two of them in that room, but he wanted to keep the scenario. He was afraid if he made it more personal that Edgeworth would hold back.

"…It was the end of the day. I had decided to stay late that night in order to tidy up the office. When I finished, I locked up my office and took the elevator down to the basement, where the parking lot is located. When the elevator doors opened I started for my car. That's when I was shot." Phoenix listened closely to Edgeworth's testimony, noticing that, at the end he was very vague with the details. That was understandable; he didn't want to recall the exact moment in time that he was shot. He would not force Edgeworth to do that, however, he did recognize that, even though the rest of the testimony was seemingly detailed, he failed to mention something Phoenix had been informed of.

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix cried, "Edgeworth, I'd like for you to take a look at this." He held up a report for Edgeworth to see.

"What is it?" Edgeworth asked, undisturbed by the evidence presented to him. It was obvious to Phoenix that Edgeworth knew he wouldn't win this round. Which meant that he never really cared whether or not he found out about the case. No, what Edgeworth was hiding was at the very heart of this case.

"It's a testimony from your attacker, Brooke Inharte." Edgeworth grinned,

"I see you have your ways of getting information, Wright. What does the testimony say, exactly?"

"It says," Phoenix gestured to the papers, "that Ms. Inharte had an appointment with you that same night. Meaning that, while you may have actually cleaned your office that night, your purpose for staying late was to meet up with Ms. Inharte!" Edgeworth shrugged and shook his head, looking as conceited as ever.

"Yes, however, what reason would I have to schedule an appointment with a woman whom I am not acquainted with?"

"No reason! But you _would_ have a reason to schedule an appointment with someone you _do_ know!"

"And you have definitive evidence, proving I knew her then?" Edgeworth questioned, looking sternly into Phoenix's eyes. Phoenix was caught; Edgeworth knew that he wouldn't have much access to the evidence in this case, especially since he was no longer a defense attorney. And he was right. Phoenix didn't have definitive evidence.

_Even so,_ he thought, reciprocating the look Edgeworth was giving, _I have enough to at least help me reel out the truth! I won't give in!_ "TAKE THAT!" Phoenix took out the photos of both guilty parties. He showed Edgeworth the photo of the man first, "I believe you will easily recognize this man, Edgeworth."

"Bill Hungary," Edgeworth replied tediously. He was putting on a face. He wasn't about to let Phoenix get to the truth that easily. If he reacted to anything then he would be sure to reach the truth.

"Yes, and I believe he was the defendant of your most recent case."

"He was a man who cared for nothing but money. That much was proven through that trial. He had killed another man out of his own greed. The details aren't really necessary for your point, however."

"You're right, they aren't. Because all I needed was for you to confirm that you fought for a guilty verdict against him in trial. I heard you were successful in getting that verdict. Am I right?"

"You are, indeed, correct, yes."

"Then I will now ask you to take a look at this." He held out a picture of Brooke, "It was during this trial that you would come face to face with her! You probably saw her before she actually confronted you, sitting in the court room, witnessing her boyfriend being convicted for murder!" Edgeworth was quiet. "It was after the trial that came up to you, asking to meet with you later on that night! You accepted, but, when the time came that she was supposed to be there, she never showed up! You stayed at your office late that night because you were waiting for her! However, when she failed to show up, you left your office, heading for your car, all the while unaware that she was following you, with the intent to kill!"

"That all remains a mere conjecture until you show me evidence that that is exactly what happened!"

"Do I _really_ need evidence to show you what this meant? Even _you_ aren't that clueless about love, Edgeworth!" There it was. At the mention of that specific emotion, at the mention of love, his careless expression flashed guilt. It happened in the blink of an eye but, unfortunately for Edgeworth, Phoenix hadn't blinked. This was his chance, he couldn't let up now. "Ms. Inharte's motive for shooting you was because you had her boyfriend arrested!"

Chapter 10

"Congratulations, Wright. You have indeed proven to me that you know what happened that night." Edgeworth responded to Phoenix's last remark coolly. This didn't fool Phoenix though,

"No! It's _not_ over yet! You're still hiding something from me!"

"Would you give it up, Wright?! Some things are better left unsaid!" Edgeworth was acting out in anger, when in actuality, he was afraid Phoenix was beginning to see what he had done.

"I won't! I made a promise that I would save you! And that's just what I'm going to do!" Edgeworth failed to understand the meaning of his words. What did he need to be saved from? "Why couldn't you have told me what happened, Edgeworth?"

"…You came into this clinic, knowing the basics. Why would I feel the need to tell you the whole story?" By now, Edgeworth had calmed down. Meaning there was something Phoenix missed that would prevent him from figuring out everything else. But what could he have missed?

"Edgeworth, what happened when you left your office?"

"It's just as you said; I went to elevator and to the parking lot, unknowingly followed by"—

"Is that _really_ what happened?! Or is that what you _want_ me to think?!"

"Wright, if you doubt your own logic then you shouldn't be asking me what's right and what's not. Figure out what the truth is _before_ you present it, otherwise you look incompetent! Are you still a bit rusty from your time away from court?" Edgeworth scolded, hoping to throw off Phoenix's progression. Instead, Phoenix took that as a wakeup call.

_Is there any evidence I have that I can use to get back on track?!_ He scanned the testimony, looking at the back of it and looking at the back of the pictures. He really had nothing else to present!

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! I've brought you your clothes!" Gumshoe announced loudly as he charged into the room, breaking Phoenix's concentration.

"Sorry, Gumshoe, but could you wait outside for a moment?"

"Oh, that's right! I was told to give this to you, pal!" he spoke now to Phoenix and held out a tape to him. He took the tape and studied it. There was a white card taped to it. The corners were black and, in the middle, there was a black figure that looked to Phoenix to be some type of bird. He pulled off the card, looking on the back of it. Edgeworth had noticed what Phoenix had in his hand and appeared shocked.

"Kay…?! How could you…!?" Phoenix ignored Edgeworth and read the message on the back:

You now hold the key that will lead you to the path of truth.

Phoenix glanced up hastily at the TV set up in the room. The whole time that he had been there Edgeworth had never watched anything. It could be because the TV was too outdated for his tastes but, at the moment, Phoenix didn't care about that. Much to Phoenix's relief, the TV had a built in VCR. "Gumshoe, could you put in this tape for us please?!"

"Sure thing, pal!" he handed the detective the tape and watched as he took the chair Phoenix had been using during his visit and situated it, climbing onto it. He lifted the tape to the VCR and pushed it in.

"Great, thank you! Now could you wait outside for us? We'll be down there as soon as possible. It won't be much longer now," he glanced over at Edgeworth, who evaded the look.

"I'll be out in the car, sir!" he held his hand to his forehead, returning his attention to Edgeworth, before turning and walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The room was now still. Both men had their eyes focused on the screen in a high corner of the room. It was a security tape, showing any movements that might have occurred down in the parking lot. This was perfect; it was just what Phoenix needed in order to figure everything out! He watched closely as Edgeworth emerged from the elevator on the video. Right there, walking beside him was Ms. Inharte. There was no audio, but it was clear to Phoenix that they were conversing with each other; their attention was toward each other and their mouths were visibly moving. After a few moments of them walking together, Ms. Inharte stopped. Edgeworth hadn't seemed to notice, however, because he continued walking until he made it to his car. Once he made it there, he turned around to face her, only to find her pointing a gun at him. It was now not clear to Phoenix what was going on; Ms. Inharte was facing away from the camera and Edgeworth was remaining still. After about 30 seconds or so, Edgeworth was shot.

Chapter 11

Phoenix grabbed the remote that had been lying on the nightstand and ejected the video. He looked at Edgeworth to see his expression, but his face was hidden behind his bangs.

"…Edgeworth…you knew she was there. You walked out of the elevator with her…meaning you _did_ meet up with her!"

"…"

"She caught you right as you were leaving your office, but what she wanted to talk to you about wouldn't take long, that's why you had the conversation as you headed to the parking lot!" Edgeworth was past arguing now. It seemed inevitable that Phoenix would find out the truth at this point in time. He should've known better; Phoenix had always had a knack for revealing the truth. "What I don't understand is, why did you just.._stand_ there? You had plenty of time to get away, and yet, you stayed there. Did you tense up? Or, maybe, it was for another reason. Before she shot you, both of you were just standing there for a good while. I couldn't see her face, but, if she had been talking, or perhaps, yelling at you then that would explain the period of time in which nothing happened. In that case, it would lead me to believe that what she said to you…was effective enough to keep you standing there long enough for her to shoot you."

"Wright…" Edgeworth whispered, his voice trembling in the agony he tried so hard to keep hidden.

"Edgeworth, what did she tell you? Why did you agree to speak with her in the first place? Did she threaten you? Was she stalking you? Maybe she had a way to blackmail you?"

"….Sh-she…she had talked to me after the trial." Edgeworth began. It was over now. He had finally given in. "She told me…that Mr. Hungary and she were to be engaged." Phoenix felt an ominous feeling wash over him,

"So you felt guilty…you agreed to meet with her that night because you"—

"That night I..I left my office, ready to head home for the night. That's when she showed up. I had just finished locking up my office but when I offered her entrance into it, she turned it down. She talked to me about how she was feeling since her lover had been arrested. I listened, because I felt that I should at least do that much."

"Edgeworth…"

"It was then…when she aimed the gun at me…that she told me she was pregnant with his child. She asked me, 'So what am I supposed to do now? You've arrested my love, my future husband, my baby's father! I can't do this alone! I can't go on without him!'" he stopped, self-loathing rising up inside of him. "…I will never be able to forgive myself for what I've done. Because of me, that child will never be with his or her real parents…I've ruined the whole family's future."

"Edgeworth, none of this is your fault."

"Every _bit_ of it is my fault! If he hadn't been convicted then"—

"Would you really let a man get away with murder just so you don't break up his family?! Your emotions have never stopped you before! You think letting a _murderer_ take care of his child is a _wise_ decision?!"

"…"

"You did what was right for her. _She_ was the one who made the wrong decision."

"….Even so, taking a child's parents away was never something I intended to do."

"We all know that, Edgeworth," he said more sympathetically as he remembered a case that had revolved heavily around Edgeworth. "We would never accuse you of doing so."

"This," Edgeworth gestured to his injured shoulder, "was my payment for what I did. It's there so that I will never forget what I have done…"

"Edgeworth," it was all coming to him now "you have that wound because Ms. Inharte was hurt over the conviction of Mr. Hungary. She came after you because she wanted to blame somebody for her misfortune and she couldn't bear to blame her husband."

"…"

"Why do you think her aim missed? After standing there for a good 30 seconds, she could have easily adjusted the angle if she needed to," Phoenix ignored the goose bumps crawling on his skin. He didn't like talking about this sort of thing; however he needed to prove his point. He waited for Edgeworth to answer, but got nothing in return. "She was only 20 years old. She was in love. She was desperate and blinded by it. She didn't go crazy; she was just suffering from a broken heart. She still had sense, so when she pulled the trigger, she _meant_ to miss your heart. She couldn't bring herself to kill you because deep down she knew it was wrong and she knew you weren't at fault."

"…What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm saying is that you are alive for a reason, Edgeworth. Don't waste away over something you believe to be your fault. Mr. Hungary's greed was what sealed _their_ fate. As tragic as it is, that is the truth."

"…Wright, I"—

"Get changed, okay? Gumshoe's waiting for us." Edgeworth stood there for a moment, looking at Phoenix, who was looking at him in return. A painful smile made its way onto his face once again,

"You truly are something, Wright," he said as he grabbed his change of clothes and headed for the restroom. Phoenix's heart skipped a beat. _Did he really just compliment me?!_ he thought to himself. _I must've hit a soft spot somewhere along the end of this conversation._ He tried not to think about it too much, considering it was probably all just a figment of his imagination, something that he _wanted_ to think he meant. He waited silently for Edgeworth to finish changing, standing at first, but then sitting once he realized that it was taking a lot longer than he had anticipated. After about five minutes of waiting for him, Phoenix began to worry. He got up and went over to stand at the door to the bathroom.

Chapter 12

"Edgeworth? Are you okay?"

"Of course I am!" he answered swiftly.

"Do you realize you've been in there for five minutes straight now?! It doesn't take that long to get changed!" he knocked before inviting himself in. There stood Edgeworth in a crammed bathroom, his scarlet pants partly hidden underneath the clinic gown he was in. There was indication that the gown had been disturbed, however it remained steadfastly on Edgeworth's person.

"I beg your pardon!" Edgeworth seemed quite shocked by Phoenix's intrusion of privacy. "I knew you were lacking in manners, but not to this degree! Get out!" he was so flustered over the whole matter that by the end of his sentence his sophisticated way of talking had become modern and demanding. This did not sway Phoenix in any way, though. He moved over to the injured prosecutor in order to assist him in the removal of the gown, but Edgeworth fought him every step of the way. When Phoenix grabbed the gown, Edgeworth backed away, his face flushed, "W-What are you doing?! I said get out!"

"Stop fidgeting, Edgeworth, I'm only trying to help you," he remained calm in hopes that Edgeworth would calm down as well. He had no such luck.

"I am a grown man, Wright! I don't _need_ help! I can get dressed myself now get _out_!" he pushed at Phoenix through the cloth supporting his arm. Almost instantly, he recoiled, yelling at the pain his actions had caused him. He had been so caught up in getting away from Phoenix that he had forgotten all about his injury until it had been too late. Phoenix watched him sadly.

"See? That's what happens when you let your pride get in the way."

"Don't talk down to me, Wright. I am not a child." He cringed at the physical pain he was now feeling.

"Then stop acting like one. Everyone needs help every now and then. Especially in cases such as yours," Phoenix resumed the removal of the gown, this time with no objections. Edgeworth looked down at the floor yet again, the color fading from his face, shame consuming him, which Phoenix chose to ignore. He got the gown off the right side of Edgeworth's body before carefully taking his useless arm out of the sling and maneuvering the gown around it. This took no more than a few seconds, but he did not stop there as he now had to move on to getting Edgeworth's shirt on. Edgeworth cooperated as much as he could, but with great reluctance. Phoenix hurried his actions in order to prevent the possibility of Edgeworth getting restless, minding his injured shoulder all the while. He had glanced at it just before getting the shirt on completely; Edgeworth hadn't opened up the stitches. Phoenix let out a sigh of relief, causing Edgeworth to tense up.

"It would be greatly appreciated if you'd make haste of this nonsense."

"Chill!" Phoenix pulled his shirt down to his pants seconds after Edgeworth had complained. He now slid on Edgeworth's black vest, helping navigate his left arm through the designated hole in the vest. The two held their breath as Phoenix buttoned it up.

"This is unnecessary, Wright! I can do _this_ much at least!" Edgeworth commented in his attempt to escape the somehow intimate feeling occurring between the two of them.

"You aren't supposed to move your left side and you need two hands to button up your vest. It's not like I'm doing this for fun!" Phoenix fought, determined to finish the job. He buttoned up the last one, grabbing the scarlet jacket afterward. This was all that was left to put on. Or so Phoenix had thought. He got Edgeworth's arms through it in almost the same exact manner as he had with the vest and backed off. "There, you're done!" he looked Edgeworth over, noticing that something seemed to be missing.

"I am not! Wright, you need to put on my cravat." Edgeworth noted matter-of-factly. That was what had been missing. This sent Phoenix into a panic,

"Yeah, right I'm putting that on you! I don't know _how_!" now _he_ was the one arguing.

"It's simple, all you have to do is tuck it into the collar on my shirt," Edgeworth explained. He could see from the expression on Phoenix's face that he was unsure about the whole idea. "I would do it myself," Edgeworth said hastily, "but that requires two hands which like you mentioned before, is impossible for me to do alone." Phoenix huffed, taking the cravat off of the rail on the bathroom wall and getting it ready. The only reason he was uneasy about this whole process was because he understood what had to be done in order to put it on. He really didn't have a problem with that either, but he knew Edgeworth did. All of this was way beyond Edgeworth's comfort zone and if _he_ was adverse to it, then it made the whole situation unpleasant_. Not that I would ever consider dressing Edgeworth _pleasant_,_ he scoffed at the thought that it could ever be so. Since Edgeworth was insisting on his cravat though, Phoenix would do it. He moved back over to Edgeworth, stopping only when he stood in front of him. He brought his hands up to Edgeworth's neck and began tucking in the cravat. Edgeworth focused his attention on the ceiling and Phoenix focused his on the process of assembling the cravat.

"This is a lot more complicated than you make it out to be," Phoenix grumbled. He finished the job nonetheless and, after that, put the sling back on Edgeworth, carefully situating his arm back into it. As soon as Phoenix got Edgeworth's left arm back into place, he moved over to the mirror to look himself over.

"I look as disorderly as you, Wright," he criticized, fiddling with his cravat with his right hand. Phoenix rolled his eyes, noticing after that, that Edgeworth's shirt had not been tucked into his pants. Edgeworth had seen Phoenix's gaze and directed his own attention toward that area. "I can handle the rest myself!" he said quickly before Phoenix could jump to any conclusions.

"Y-Yeah, I knew that! I'll leave the rest to you then." He said and quickly exited the bathroom.

Chapter 13

"Thanks for the ride, Gumshoe!" Phoenix waved to the detective in the car. He was now standing in front of Edgeworth's house. The ride hadn't been that much of a distance; however, Gumshoe's endless talking of trifles made the ride seem to go on for eternity.

"No problem, pal! Hey listen, you take care of Mr. Edgeworth, got it?!" He demanded, Phoenix failing to feel the least bit threatened by this big teddy bear of a detective.

"You got it, I will!" he promised, relieved to see that that had been enough for Gumshoe. He drove off into the distance, leaving Phoenix in silence. He turned around to look to Edgeworth, but found he was no longer standing nearby as he had been once they had exited the car. He looked behind himself toward the luxurious house, truly looking at it for the first time since they had arrived there. The two story house looked spacious from the outside, fashioning a cream white color on the exterior which kept it plain, simple, and yet so refined; such was Edgeworth's style. His front yard was a healthy green, leaving Phoenix to believe that Edgeworth kept up with the maintenance. He had shrubberies along the sidewalk leading up to his front door, along with small light fixtures embedded into the ground between them, probably to make the walkway more appealing. Looking around at the other houses in the neighborhood, he realized that what Edgeworth lived in was really not a house at all, but an estate. This made Phoenix feel greatly out of place, but he walked up the walkway nevertheless. Edgeworth had been nowhere in sight after they had exited Gumshoe's car, leaving Phoenix to believe he had gone on ahead into his own abode. Believing his assumption to be correct, he reached the door and turned the knob without knocking. When there was no resistance to his weight, he opened the door all the way, letting himself in. The inside was even bigger than he had imagined. He looked around at the immaculate interior, examining every decoration with a costly appearance, his jaw dropped. Directly to the right of him was the living room, a large flat screen within an elegant entertainment center, the sofa in the shape of an L a few good feet away with a coffee table in front of it. A door on the wall farthest from him lead to a currently unknown destination. To the left of him was the dining area, seeming to have never been used, which appeared to be adjoined with the kitchen. In front of him stood the staircase, which almost made a rectangular formation leading up to the second floor.

"Don't look so surprised, Wright," Edgeworth taunted as he emerged from what Phoenix had presumed to be the kitchen. "Doing so causes you to fit the homeless stereotype. And housing a homeless man would ruin my reputation."

"I'm pretty sure your reputation has already been stolen by a thief." Phoenix made a comeback as he took off his shoes and socks, grinning at Edgeworth's reaction.

"Would you like some tea?" he moved on.

"Sure but maybe I should take care of it. After all I _am_ here to take care of _you_." Phoenix watched curiously as Edgeworth turned away, hiding his reddened face.

"Don't remind me…fine then, you can do it. But I'll be watching every step of the way!" Edgeworth declared turning back to face Phoenix, his face having quickly returned to its normal pigment.

"Cheez, no need to be so paranoid, Edgeworth." Phoenix remarked as he followed Edgeworth who walked back through the doorway. A pattern of white and silver seized Phoenix's attention as he entered the kitchen. The white cupboards were embellished with a unique design, their handles closely resembling silver, their luster just as brilliant, and the countertops were genuine marble. A movement caught Phoenix's eye, distracting him from the breathtaking sight. He now watched Edgeworth move to one of the cupboards, opening it up with his right hand.

"This is where I keep the tea," he said, turning to Phoenix.

"O-oh, okay."

"The kettle's already on the stove with water in it. I think the rest you'll be able to do on your own." It occurred to Phoenix, for a split second, that Edgeworth was insinuating Phoenix to be useless. He ignored it though, moving toward the prosecutor. Edgeworth seemed to notice and moved away to another side of the kitchen, keeping a good distance between them.

_Does he really hate me that much?_ Phoenix asked himself sarcastically, grabbing the tea from the cupboard. Edgeworth had many to choose from, and from the looks of it, only the finest. Phoenix had noticed one already sitting on the counter, so now all that was left was to choose one for himself. He picked out a raspberry tea bag and set it down next to Edgeworth's selection before turning on the stove.

"The teacups are there," Edgeworth pointed definitively at another cupboard. Phoenix made use of the direction he had been given and took out two very literal teacups from the cupboard. They very heavily resembled ones from out of some kind of old English movie. He ripped open the packages and put a tea bag in each cup. After doing so, he turned to Edgeworth, ready to start up some kind of conversation with him while he waited for the water to heat up, but he had disappeared once again. Phoenix moved to the dining room to find him sitting at the table, attempting to remove his scarlet jacket on his own.

"You've got to be the most stubborn man I've ever met," Phoenix huffed, going to Edgeworth's rescue once more. Edgeworth grumbled, but allowed Phoenix to assist him in order to avoid causing himself pain yet again. Phoenix kneeled before him, their face an approximate foot away from each other as he helped rid Edgeworth of the jacket. Once he got it off he readjusted Edgeworth's arm back into the sling. He looked into Edgeworth's eyes; they were no longer as distant as they had been before. Perhaps he had looked for too long a duration because their eyes now met. Phoenix did not move from that position, though. Instead, he searched Edgeworth's eyes, trying to read some meaning into what emotion they reflected. What he got in return was withdrawal of emotion, almost as though Edgeworth was becoming defensive.

"Are you quite finished?" Edgeworth asked, backing the chair up and getting to his feet. Phoenix watched for a little longer, now looking at Edgeworth's body language. It was almost as though he was… "Do you plan on getting up any time soon?" he asked, looking down at him with an irritated look and a hint of embarrassment. Phoenix looked in front of him, his cheeks burning a bright red as he saw just what Edgeworth's embarrassment had been a result of. He stood up hastily,

"Right, uhh, s-sorry," Phoenix mumbled in his own embarrassment.

"Honestly, Wright, I didn't believe you to be the type to be into that," Edgeworth looked towards a wall and Phoenix now found himself flustered by his words.

"N-no, of course not! I was just—why would I ever think"—

"If you wanted to lick my shoes all you had to do was ask," he grinned and made his way back into the kitchen. Phoenix, on the other hand, was frozen in place.

_I can't believe he just said that!_ It was obvious to Phoenix that what he had come face to face with was not Edgeworth's shoes. _That was _wrong_, Edgeworth!_ Phoenix recovered, storming after the prosecutor. "And _I_ never thought you would be the type to _say_ something like that!" Phoenix nearly yelled, determined to stick up for himself.

"Whatever do you mean?" Edgeworth asked, his eyebrow cocked to one side as he gave Phoenix the attention he was demanding.

"You know _exactly_ what I mean! What you said back there was dirty in more ways than one! I thought you were more mature than that!" the room went silent as what Phoenix was accusing him of slowly began to register; he has a sharp mind, but anything that had to do with relationships, physical _or_ emotional, took him a little more time to process. The more aghast Edgeworth became the more Phoenix felt ashamed.

"I believe _you_ are the depraved one, Wright!" he declared, his hands tightening into fists, his voice a crescendo of deceiving anger while his glowing pink cheeks hinted otherwise. "You think a man of my status would _ever_ implicate something as perverse as _that_?! You really have lost your mind in the past seven years!" they stood in silence as Phoenix stumbled for words in his attempt to excuse himself and to escape the horrible humiliation he had brought upon himself, but nothing could dig him out of the grave he was already standing in.

"S-sorry I guess I…I must've misread the situation," he muttered. A nearly ear piercing screech then intervened, to Phoenix's delight, before any more could be done or said. He hustled over to the stove, turning the heat off and removing the kettle. He was now facing away from Edgeworth, which gave him time to recover. He opened up the spout and watched as the water trickled into Edgeworth's cup first and then, as he moved the kettle to the right, into his own cup. "Umm…here's your cup," he offered to Edgeworth as he finally turned back around to face him. He was taken slightly off guard when he realized a focused gaze was being aimed in his direction. Phoenix could tell, just by looking at him, that he had to have been doing that for more than a few seconds, possibly for as long as Phoenix had been turned around. For reasons Phoenix couldn't quite explain himself, he found his cheeks had been powdered pink in a blush. "E-Edgeworth?" he stuttered, suddenly getting self-conscious over his situation. He watched as Edgeworth started in his direction, his heart beat increasing inexplicably, only for Edgeworth to change his direction at the last second, approaching a cupboard and, next, the refrigerator to retrieve a few things. Having accomplished that, he then made his way over to Phoenix, failing to look at him even once. He began adding substances to his tea, mixing it up with a spoon simultaneously.

"Feel free to help yourself to any of these items, Wright." He gestured to the sugar and cream he had brought out. Phoenix nodded and added sugar to his own tea, glancing over at his friend who was, for the first time since they had been in the kitchen, standing next to him. Edgeworth's expression was so calm it left Phoenix in a whirl of confusion. What had just happened?

Chapter 14

Phoenix stared down at the rust colored reflection in his teacup, an engrossed expression on his face. Edgeworth's recent actions left the defense attorney questioning his reasoning behind them. The way he had been staring at him, how he suddenly had no problem getting near Phoenix, his sudden calmness…_Could it be that he_, Phoenix began to consider the possibility but quickly refuted it. _There's no way that could've been what I thought that was_! He turned to address Edgeworth, only to find that, for the third time since he had arrived there, Edgeworth was nowhere to be seen. He moved into the dining room, expecting to find him there but, when he had no such luck he simply moved to the next area in the manor. It was in the living room that he found the wounded man drinking his tea on the scarlet colored couch, his plate down on the coffee table. He hesitated before moving to sit down next to him, setting his own tea down on the table next to his.

"After this, Wright, I think you need to properly groom yourself. Enough of this 5 o'clock shadow and your casual clothing. And that beanie can go as well," he commented, a sip of his tea immediately following his words. How typical of him. Phoenix started to wonder if what had happened in the kitchen was all just a figment of his imagination.

"I'll shave and change my clothes but I'm not getting rid of the beanie; it was a gift from Trucy," he watched as Edgeworth's expression changed from one of indifference to one of subtle guilt.

"I had no idea," he commented, an indirect way of apologizing.

"It's ok. I never told you where I got it from so you couldn't have known," Phoenix hastened to ease Edgeworth's mind, the room falling silent soon after. He took that moment as a good point in time to sip his own tea, tasting the sweet fruity liquid on his taste buds.

"Do you still have a suit within your possession?" Edgeworth nonchalantly pressed on with the clothing conversation.

"No, I haven't worn it in years, Edgeworth," he answered honestly. "And why do I need to wear a suit? I'm not an attorney anymore, wearing that kind of suit around the… 'house' so casually kind of defeats the purpose."

"As long as you are in my house I request that you wear, at the very least, dress pants and a work appropriate undershirt." And that was that. His last sentence ended the debate upon it quickly. Phoenix huffed in surrender and sipped once more at his tea. He saw Edgeworth move to set down his own tea. He paused, with his hand still on the grip of the teacup, and stared into his cup, almost as though there was something more complex than just tea for its contents. "Whatever happened to…?" his voice trailed off as he asked, clearly apprehensive about the response he might get. But he didn't have to finish the sentence he directed at Phoenix for Phoenix to get it.

"I haven't seen Maya since she went off to hone her channeling skills." Phoenix sat now, looking down at his hands. "And since I've finally met up with you again, she's been longer without seeing me than you have," he stated, now looking at Edgeworth who continued to keep his concentration on the tea in his cup. He wondered if hearing this would put Edgeworth at ease.

"Do you ever…miss her?" he now asked, successfully leaving Phoenix in a state of confusion upon the reason for this inquiry.

"Yeah," he openly admitted, "but it's never been hard; I've had my beautiful daughter, Trucy along for the ride." He smiled at the mental image he got of his adopted daughter and when Edgeworth went silent, he continued, inadvertently reluctant to let the conversation die. "I'm sure you feel the same way, right? You've had Kay with you this whole time, she's such an enthusiastic kid, I'm sure there's plenty of fun in having her tag along." But Edgeworth didn't answer. He simply rose to his feet, departing the room.

"I have to make a call." Was all he said as he left Phoenix to himself within the living room. Phoenix looked over at Edgeworth's abandoned teacup, its contents not completely drained. He thought it odd that Edgeworth would forget such a tiny detail as putting up his dishes, let alone how strange the entire situation had been, so he took both Edgeworth's and his own to the sink in the kitchen, where he had found Edgeworth pocketing his cell. "Gumshoe's on his way to fetch you a new set of clothes. All the materials you would need to shave your facial hair can be found in the guest bathroom next to the spare bedroom, which is across the hall from my own."

"Right, right, I get it already," Phoenix grumbled as he emptied the contents of what was left of the tea and washed the cups in the sink. Immediately following these actions, he left the kitchen, walked through the dining area and to the stairs where the bedrooms were heavily implied to be located. He did all this without any further comment to Edgeworth; he was starting to feel like Edgeworth didn't want anything to do with him at the moment. He wasn't entirely sure that's what it was though. Whenever he thought he'd finally figured Edgeworth out, his mood would seem to change. Maybe this battle was far from over, maybe Phoenix still had yet to discover the real truth Edgeworth was hiding from him.

Once he reached the top of the stairs, he looked to his right to find a room that nearly emanated the scarlet color Edgeworth was so smitten with. This was obviously not the guest room and so Phoenix turned his attention to the left, walking past the bathroom to first examine the room he would temporarily be staying in. He was surprised to discover a room just as fancy as the others, with blue themed decorations about the room; the wall even being a relaxing shade of blue. There were various reasons that Phoenix could think of as to why this room was decorated with the color blue. The first thought that came to mind was a conjecture off of the emotions he witnessed in Edgeworth previously. Though he would never admit, he had told Phoenix how he felt about the seven year separation in a very roundabout way. To him, this room could easily reflect Edgeworth's suppressed feelings of abandonment towards Phoenix's disappearance. He also thought that, for related reasons, the room was remodeled to look this way in case Phoenix was to come and visit. All of these possibilities seemed too bizarre to him, however, and that's when he remembered something from a past trial. He had had to examine Edgeworth's office once before for a case and had stumbled upon a custom chess set. That particular chess set disturbingly stood out to him because the scarlet colored chess pieces were set up to look as though they had the blue, spiky haired chess piece surrounded. Looking at that theme and the setup, Phoenix couldn't help but wonder if those chess pieces resembled him and Edgeworth in court. Phoenix glanced across the hall at the first bedroom he had spotted. Edgeworth's room was red, the guest bedroom, directly across from it, was blue; surely this was symbolic of the rivalry Edgeworth focused so much upon.

_Yeah, that's definitely it_, Phoenix thought bluntly to himself before moving into the guest bathroom to carry out Edgeworth's will. The bathroom didn't seem to have any obvious color it sided with, deciding for itself that it could have an opinion of its own and still look prosperous within the luxurious estate. Phoenix dug through the cabinets and cupboards of the bathroom, retrieving both a razor and the shaving cream to initiate his task. It wasn't until he stood upright, directly in front of the mirror, that he realized he looked different. At the beginning of his defense attorney career, his naivety was born from the inexperience of a college student, thus causing the spark in his eye reflecting his aspiration for justice. Once he had been disbarred, that innocent way of thinking disappeared from his life, things changed and he adapted, but his eyes changed with him. Now, it was clear that within his eyes was the perfect mixture of wisdom, pertaining to the trials and tribulations he had gone through so far, and passion, though not necessarily the same kind as it had been before. And this was, he had no doubt, thanks to the recent turn of events, but, he realized, before Edgeworth had suffered his recent trauma, the look in his own eyes rivaled that of Edgeworth's. Just like Edgeworth, Phoenix's eyes had been absent of life.

Chapter 15

Phoenix rushed down the stairs in his new suit and cleanly shaven face, keeping fresh in his mind the epiphany he had reached upon staring at his own reflection in the bathroom mirror. He felt he may have finally figured out what it was he had been missing this whole time. He forced himself to maintain focus, his heart picking up pace when he thought of confronting Edgeworth, thus hopefully ending Edgeworth's intensified anti-social behavior. He barely reached the last step down to the living room before he opened his mouth, ready to demand Edgeworth's attention, but he stopped at the bottom, his mouth closing as he stared blankly at the guest sitting on the couch in the living room. He swallowed the words he had prepared to say as he looked over at the uptight female prosecutor and almost turned right back around to head up the stairs and to the whip-free zone of his room, but it was already too late for him.

"Wright, just in time. Franziska bought us supper in celebration of my release from the hospital. Would you care to join?" Edgeworth had immediately spotted him, seeing as how he had been standing in front of the coffee table setting down plates, putting him at the perfect angle to see Phoenix's descent from the stairs.

"I didn't buy the food for that foolish fool of fools!" Franziska nearly spat as she turned her head to direct her fiery glare at Phoenix. He came close to declining the invitation he was given at her ill-mannered words but since it was Edgeworth who asked…since it was was Edgeworth who invited… His decision was made as soon as he took a good look at Edgeworth and saw him attempting to dish up food for Franziska.

"Hold it! Edgeworth, stop _right_ there!" he quickly made his way over to his rival in court and grabbed the dish from his good hand, proceeding to dish up the food.

"I object to your madness!" Edgeworth started, "It is etiquette that I dish up Franziska's food, as a gentleman _and_ the proud owner of this household!"

"You're obviously too proud if you're insisting on dishing up her food! Do you forget that you're still injured?! Are you so accustomed to putting on a good face that you would risk making a mess of your living room in order to dish up the food for Franziska?!" Phoenix snapped and watched Edgeworth who was now tongue tied and fuming at his words. "Jeez, have you already forgotten I'm staying here with you to help you?" he spoke softer now and held back a yell when Franziska's whip lashed out at the air in between both Edgeworth and him. Even Edgeworth had jumped in the slightest.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright, I demand my plate this instant!" she aimed the whip for his face next and Phoenix clumsily handed it over to her in his haste, Edgeworth standing stiffly next to him. "You two are much like a bickering foolish old couple! If Mr. Phoenix Wright is to take over the duty of dishing up my food then I would rather do it myself!" she then did just that, leaving both Phoenix and Edgeworth to slowly take in her words and grow hot in the face, sparing a single glance to see if the other was just as flustered before averting their gaze. "I can't believe that you, Mr. Phoenix Wright, would be chosen to take care of Edgeworth over the multitude of people he's acquainted with!" she vented, aggressively stabbing at what had been a masterpiece of food. Phoenix assertively grabbed an extra plate from the stack that had been set down on the table, now determined to eat what he assumed to be classy catered food that Franziska had paid for herself.

"Franziska, I care about Edgeworth—," a glance at said person, "his well-being and I'm here to take care of him until he's completely healed. Does it matter then, that it's me who's taking care of him, so long as I do my job?!" he stared her down as he awaited an answer.

"I suppose it doesn't," she finally spoke up, "But you are prohibited from sitting next to me." and she began to eat. Phoenix's expression became dulled at her immature words, but allowed for Edgeworth to sit next to her nonetheless. He had dished up both Edgeworth's food and his own and was now sitting on the other side of Edgeworth, making sure that he had absolutely no problem handling this type of food with just one hand. When Phoenix took a bite into his own he felt as though he might cry. His taste buds had become so accustomed to his own horrible cooking that tasting this seemed heavenly.

"Do you eat like this every night?!" Phoenix asked, astonished. Edgeworth sneered at his reaction and Franziska leaned over in the slightest to direct her attention to Phoenix,

"When I saw you for the first time in seven years, you asked me where Edgeworth had been hospitalized. Back then I couldn't help but wonder if you had become destitute during those years; now, it is clear as day to me that you have indeed. Tell me, do you live off a Ramen diet just as Gumshoe does?" she smirked with intrigue as she asked Phoenix this.

"Wright survives off of a pianist's budget," Edgeworth was clearly seeking revenge for the times Phoenix embarrassed him in the hospital.

"A pianist's budget?!" Franziska seemed shocked. "Mr. Phoenix Wright, you play the piano?" she asked, and before he could answer, Edgeworth replied.

"I'm sorry I've led you to believe that Wright can play the piano astoundingly. Wright is a sorry excuse for a pianist living off the tips he gains out of pity." Phoenix felt the verbal blow strike him internally. His eyebrow twitched at the current situation he was in. This was getting old and quick.

"So how can you possibly get by with your new career choice?" Franziska was holding back a laugh.

"I manage," Phoenix answered shortly, another twitch of the eyebrow.

"He also financially supports—," Phoenix froze, dreading Edgeworth might reveal Trucy to Franziska, "a roommate in need." He sighed with relief, well aware that Edgeworth had spared his life. "But he now mentors a brand new defense attorney by the name of Apollo Justice." This seemed to interest Franziska,

"Maybe I'll get the chance to face him in court one day," she appeared to like the idea that she might take revenge on Phoenix by beating his successor in court. "So then where did you get your suit Mr. Phoenix Wright? You clearly don't have the money for it."

"I had Gumshoe go fetch him a new one since he no longer has his within his possession," Edgeworth said simply, taking a bite of his food after. It then occurred to Phoenix that the two of them had nearly finished off their dinner despite all the chatting they had been doing. They must have taken bites at the end of their sentences, just as Edgeworth had demonstrated, but Phoenix hadn't even noticed them doing _that_.

"Even Gumshoe must make more money than you now!" Franziska exclaimed, giggling at that thought. At this point, Phoenix got to his feet and started to collect their plates.

"Franziska, didn't you say you had ordered dessert as well?" Edgeworth changed the subject, snickering at the thought that he had put Phoenix through enough.

"Oh, yes, I had them make a chocolate soufflé," Franziska moved on without a second thought.

"Right then, I'll go fetch the plates," he stated as he rose to his feet and headed for the kitchen, Phoenix hot on his trail, dirty plates in hands. "What's the matter, Wright? You seem aggravated! We were only kidding with you!" he poked fun at him as he stopped in front of the counter and turned to face him. He watched as Phoenix quickly washed off the dishes in the sink. "Could it be that you can't take a joke?" a smirk made its way across his face as he thought about that possibility.

"Oh, I can take a joke, alright!" he said as he set the dishes in the opposite side of the sink. "I can dish them out too," he grinned right back at Edgeworth, their eyes challenging each other in almost the same way as they used to in court. Phoenix then moved over to Edgeworth, opened the cabinet he had been standing in front of and removed the small plates he had found inside. He walked back into the living room, this time Edgeworth following behind, and offered Franziska a plate. He watched as she took a deep dish with the aforementioned dessert and set it on top of the plate. So these plates were brought out just for saucer use.

_Go figure_, he thought and copied Franziska's actions to prepare one for Edgeworth and then for himself, sitting back in his original spot on the couch. He didn't immediately dig into his soufflé; instead, he thought about a way to get back at Edgeworth, and soon he got lost in listening to the conversation the two were having with each other. It was almost as though they were siblings. This didn't surprise him as he knew that Edgeworth and Franziska had been acquainted with each other for years, but if he hadn't known them he would have been none the wiser that they weren't related. He smiled to himself and finally tasted the dessert, only to discover that the soufflé left an even better impression on his mind than the dinner itself.

"What _is_ this…?!" he asked apprehensively; he had to know. It was almost like eating a chocolate cake only more moist and airy.

"My goodness, Wright, you haven't ever eaten a soufflé _either_?" Edgeworth asked, resuming the harassment on Phoenix.

"Hah! It's to be expected by now. Mr. Phoenix Wright is a poor, homeless fool!" Franziska added as she covered her mouth with her hand to laugh. Phoenix thought to tell her that he did indeed have a home, but knew that would only set himself up for more embarrassment, so he took this chance to try and think of something to use against Edgeworth.

"Hey, Franziska, I had gone up to check out the bedroom that I'm staying in and thought it a little odd that it would be so…blue. Is there some sort of story behind that?" he felt like he had messed up his opportunity to get back at Edgeworth with that question at first, but since he had already asked it, he _was_ interested in her answer. And then he watched her reaction; the amused look was wiped off her face as both surprise and anger took over her expression.

"The room is _blue_?" she asked when she looked to Edgeworth. Her anger was like a time bomb that was seconds away from detonation. Phoenix looked to Edgeworth as well, finding a rather grave expression across the injured prosecutor's face. It would seem that his question had been a rather appropriate one to get back at him with, but Phoenix felt like it had gone much further than he had expected. He tensed up as he watched her rise to her feet suddenly, setting her dish down on the table and making her way up the stairs within seconds. Edgeworth was rather quick to follow and Phoenix followed after him. He didn't understand what was going on, it was only a room after all, why would it be such a big deal that the room was blue? Was there something he was missing? He stood near Edgeworth in the doorway when they had reached the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. She seemed taken aback; she cradled her arm in an almost insecure way and she shifted left to right in the slightest, much like she did in court when something went wrong. So, this _was_ more serious than he thought. He watched as she turned around, her pale blue eyes like daggers piercing into Edgeworth's soul. "What is the meaning of this, Miles Edgeworth?!" she was livid but he remained stoic.

"I do not believe I understand what you mean. It is only a room; you are overreacting." He said it simply, and Phoenix would have agreed, but then he caught the look in his eyes. It was as though Edgeworth had become detached and all within the blink of an eye. This, however, only seemed to send Franziska over the edge and she lashed out at him with her whip, just barely missing his feet. This snapped him out of it right quick; whether Edgeworth had wanted to or not, the surprise that took over his features was not something he could control. He took a step back involuntarily, gritting his teeth as he glared back at Franziska.

"Can we _avoid_ sending Edgeworth back to the hospital, please?!" Phoenix interjected, having jumped himself, but his words fell on deaf ears. Franziska continued to close in on Edgeworth until he was backed against a wall. He now looked almost pained, and Phoenix couldn't tell if it was because his shoulder was being pushed up against the wall in a certain way, or if it was for some other reason.

"Would you like me to elaborate?! You painted the room when I had told you _not_ to!"

"This is my house, I will do with it as I please," Edgeworth answered quietly, almost to where Phoenix couldn't catch it.

"Did I not tell you that you would not be able to move on should you paint it?!" she continued, ignoring his abnormally poor attempt at a retort. "What if he had _not_ come back?! What would you have done _then_?!" she paused for a moment, Phoenix assumed, to hear Edgeworth give his answer that was no longer audible from where Phoenix was standing. He couldn't really see his face anymore either; Franziska's head was in the way, but he could tell that Edgeworth's head was somewhat bowed. Those last words…what had they meant? "And under what circumstances did it take to get him here?! What will you do once you have healed!?"

It was then that Phoenix began to feel like he knew what they were talking about. He didn't think it was at all possible for the conversation to have revolved around him in a rather indirect way, but what Franziska was saying made it hard to refute it. And if the one-sided argument really was about Phoenix, then he had a right to be a part of it! He moved over to Franziska and grabbed her arm to pull her away. "That's enough, Franziska…!" he demanded, but she merely shoved him aside and stormed down the stairs and out the door, slamming it behind her. He started to go after her to try to clear whatever the problem was up, but then remembered how Edgeworth had looked last and turned back around to face him. The sight left a pit in Phoenix's stomach. Edgeworth was still up against the wall, but his head was to the side as he looked down at the ground. Phoenix assumed this was the way he had been toward the end of the fight with Franziska to avoid eye contact with her, but it was the look on Edgeworth's face that affected Phoenix so strongly. Never, in all the years that he had known Miles Edgeworth, had he seen him looking so vulnerable, so fragile…so crushed.

_I have to do it now,_ Phoenix told himself. _I have to tell him now!_ He took a step forward toward his friend, only to have Edgeworth push off the wall and move away from him. "I'm calling it a night," he said to Phoenix rather coldly, his back to him. He got the feeling Edgeworth was distancing himself again, just when he had finally found himself. "Have a good night's rest," he told Phoenix courteously and yet so apathetically, like he would usually phrase any other sentence. And then he disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him. Phoenix just stood there for a moment before turning back to the guest room and staring at the walls. If he had known bringing up the color of the room would bring up such controversy he would never have mentioned it in the first place. Unfortunately for him, all he could do was wait it out and hope that everything would be back to normal in the morning.

Chapter 16

It was silent all throughout the estate of Miles Edgeworth. The pitter patter of rain could be heard outside and the overcast sky flooded in its grayish-blue hue into the windows of each room, making a particular blue guest room look darker than usual. Within that room there was an abnormal silence, yet there were two occupying the room at the moment. The silence was disturbed only by the rustling of the sheets on the bed, and on the floor, both blue and scarlet suits had been left behind.

"Wright…" the silence was finally broken by the delicate sound of the owner of the estate. He was sitting atop the bed, his naked body looking a bit gray itself with the way the light from the outside hit him. Phoenix leaned forward to put a finger to Miles Edgeworth's lips.

"It's alright. Let me help you forget the pain you've felt all these years," he spoke to Edgeworth before he kissed him. Edgeworth wrapped his arms around the back of Phoenix's neck and the two of them fell back together, entwining themselves in the sheets as they became enveloped in their passion. "Now, stay still," Phoenix told him as he positioned himself, but before he could proceed,

"OBJECTION!" and he was flipped over to take the place underneath Edgeworth, who was now above Phoenix. "I think not, Wright. That position is not for someone of your caliber. _I_ will be the one to take hold of this situation." Phoenix's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen and then he turned the tables back to the way they had been before Edgeworth had acted.

"OBJECTION! TAKE THAT!" Phoenix shouted to the disgruntled man now back underneath him, though Edgeworth refused to give up. They went back and forth like this in a never-ending cycle, until the sound of thunder cracked deafeningly through the morning air.

Phoenix sat up in his bed in a hurry, his heart racing after being startled by the thunder. What a rough way to wake up. He slowly recalled what his dream had consisted of and he looked around the room hastily, making sure nothing had actually happened. He was still alone in the guest bedroom as he had been when he fell asleep last night. He blushed when he realized what had been happening between Edgeworth and himself in his dream. He looked down under the sheets and his face only grew darker; this dream had definitely been a surprise for him. He sighed and he slowly swung his feet off the edge of the bed. His eyes shifted to look out the window. The weather in his dream had been very accurate, though it had to have been the sound of the rain that influenced it. It took him a while to get ready for the day, but as he went along with his morning routine, he realized something seemed out of place. By the time he was dressed in the blue suit Edgeworth had bought for him and his hair styled back into its usual spikes, he had thought it was odd that he had yet to see any sign of Edgeworth. He exited the guest bathroom after looking himself over one more time and he looked down the hall in the direction of the prosecutor's room.

Then again, now that he thought about it, they hadn't necessarily ended on a good note last night… Phoenix felt a twinge of pain as he thought about Edgeworth's expression last night, and then how he had pushed Phoenix away from him. His eyebrows creased and he moved down the hall to Edgeworth's room. He had been avoiding it, since his rival in court seemed insistent on a no entry policy, but with the way things were right now, Phoenix wasn't about to obey that policy. After all, the ex-defense attorney had been so sure the injured prosecutor would have come to his door to wake him up bright and early. It was 10 am, and there had been absolutely no sign of Edgeworth.

"Alright, Edgeworth, enough of these games. Don't you think you've pouted enough as it is?" Phoenix said, trying to tease the prosecutor to start off the conversation in a more normal tone, but when he peered into the elaborately decorated, scarlet room, there was no sign of Edgeworth anywhere. "…Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked, puzzled. He moved slowly into the room, and when he didn't find him there, the piano player in blue moved into the large master bathroom. His jaw nearly dropped with how impressive the bath tub was and the marble tile floor, and the gold faucet to the sink, and the overall dimensions of the room, but Edgeworth was not in there, so he turned back around to face the bedroom. He was getting a bad feeling about Edgeworth's disappearance so he scanned the contents of the room. Miles Edgeworth was the neatest man Phoenix had ever met, if something was out of place in his bedroom that would be extremely unusual. He looked over to the bed; the sheets were a mess, and next to it, a pile of light pink pajamas lay on the floor. So far, not so good. Phoenix decided to continue his search and he moved around the bedroom to look for other clues. He found Edgeworth's vest, cravat and scarlet jacket tossed carelessly on a rather expensive looking, scarlet cushioned chair, but his white undershirt and matching scarlet pants were nowhere to be seen. Phoenix rubbed his chin as his frown deepened. Something was seriously wrong here.

He moved quickly out of the bedroom, taking Edgeworth's jacket with him and headed downstairs to look for Edgeworth down there; he would not allow himself to panic until he was absolutely positive Edgeworth had left the building. He got to the last couple steps and froze, his eyes widening at the sight of a huge dog sprawled out on the floor in front of the door, whining and sniffing at the crack. Its noises ceased and it sat up and looked back at the stairs where Phoenix stood, its ears perked up, but soon they were laying on its head as it snarled and barked, rushing at Phoenix. Phoenix just about tripped over himself trying to back pedal up the stairs, but he was tackled by the dog and he held out his hands, looking away and squeezing his eyes shut, thinking he was about to die. When the dog stopped growling and barking, and when it did not bite him, Phoenix slowly looked in front of him to find the dog sniffing intently at the missing prosecutor's jacket. After a moment, the dog moved back over to the door, sniffing eagerly at the bottom again and then looking back at Phoenix. The dog he was looking at was tan with a black back, long nose and tall ears. It was a German Shepherd, and if Phoenix knew one thing about them it was that they were excellent trackers.

"Hey there, do you know where Edgeworth is?!" Phoenix asked cautiously, but with an excited edge to his voice. He approached the dog slowly and bent over to look at its name tag. "Hi, Pess, my name is Phoenix Wright," he told the dog in the same excited voice, trying to keep on the dog's good side. He let the dog sniff him and when the dog's tail began to wag, he took that as permission to pet him. "I didn't know Edgeworth had a dog…" Phoenix said more to himself than to Pess. He was surprised the man was able to keep his estate as spotless as he did with a furry dog like that. Edgeworth must clean like a madman. Phoenix also found it particularly peculiar that after spending a whole night there he had been none the wiser about this dog, but he didn't dwell on it. "He must take good care of you though, you're so soft and clean…and just look at your fancy collar! You must have a fancy leash too, right? Wanna go for a walk?" Phoenix asked and Pess began to bark excitedly. Pess might just be the key to finding Edgeworth. "Now where would your leash be?" Phoenix asked quizzically, though he hadn't at all expected Pess to understand. He began to look around for it, and decided to make sure nothing else was out of place while he was at it. He looked in the kitchen, where the dishes from last night's dinner were all still where Phoenix had left them after he had washed them by hand. After that he moved back into the living room and towards that back door he had spotted when he had first set foot in the place the day before. He opened the door to find Edgeworth's garage, and, behind the garage door, he could see a vast yard through little windows at the top. Apparently Edgeworth had replaced his red mustang since the last time Phoenix had seen it. He looked to the side and found a coat hanger and a rack for umbrellas. He took one umbrella before he was prompted by Pess to move back indoors.

"What is it, boy?" Phoenix asked, but was quick to discover seeing as how the shepherd was holding a leash in his mouth. "Good boy!" he pet the dog's head and took the leash. It smelled heavily of clean linen which led Phoenix to believe it had been stored in the laundry room. He hooked the leash onto Pess's collar and pointed definitively towards the door. "Let's go find Edgeworth, Pess!" Almost as if on cue, the doorbell rang to the front door and Pess started up with his deep barking all over again. Phoenix moved curiously to the front door and looked through the peep hole to find Franziska von Karma and that man with the maple colored hair from the crime scene and though he had a bad feeling about it, he opened the door for them.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright," Franziska started up angrily, obviously surprised to find that he had been the one to answer the door, but soon completely forgot about him as she gasped happily and crouched in a lady like manner to pet Pess and give him attention. It was the weirdest thing the retired defense attorney had seen all morning, but he wasn't about to comment on it. He looked away slowly, feeling relieved that he had managed to escape Franziska's whip, but it was just as he thought he had gotten off free that the man in black with the fur trimmed jacket and dragon patterns on his attire spoke up.

"Where is Mr. Prosecutor?" he asked, obviously picking up on the situation. Phoenix felt a drop of sweat travel down his temple and he smiled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Uhh, well, you see, he kind of stepped out for a bit of fresh air while I wasn't looking and-AHHH!" Phoenix's jaw dropped and his eyes widened when Franziska's whip lashed out at him. She was on her feet the moment he had started to answer the wolf man's question.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright! You were put in charge of him to make sure he maintained his well-being and yet you are telling me you have _lost_ him?! I knew I should have done this myself!" She snapped the whip in her hands as she grit her teeth angrily. Phoenix's expression became grave,

"I know, I'm sorry…when I woke up he was already gone. But that's why I'm taking Pess with me. We're going to find Edgeworth and bring him back." He said firmly. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be enough for the Interpol agent; he stomped forward and stared Phoenix down, baring his canines like some wild dog ready to shred him to pieces. Even Pess laid down as if he proceeded to submit, his long ears laying back on his head.

"Are you _stupid_?! It's raining cats and _dogs_! That pup isn't going to be able to pick up a scent in this weather!" he snarled at Phoenix and Phoenix felt his hopes deflate. What would he do now? How would he find Edgeworth? If it was raining that hard and he didn't have a coat or an umbrella…he was really starting to worry now, but he wasn't going to stand around and do nothing.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized again and recalled the man's name from the conversation he had had with Edgeworth, "Mr. Lang, but I don't have time to discuss this with you." Shi-Long didn't seem to like that response at all; he recoiled and growled under his breath, looking like he was about ready to retaliate at any moment. But Phoenix wasn't finished, "It's my fault he's in this mess so I have to get him out of this." He looked away, thinking for a moment and slowly a possibility popped up in his mind. "He might have been scared off by that thunder…! I can't stay here any longer, I need to find Edgeworth." he said as he looked up at Shi-Long Lang with resolve. The Interpol agent was about to comment, but Phoenix would never know what it was he was going to say because Franziska grabbed his shoulder.

"Shi-Long, leave it," she told him quietly and he looked at her, completely taken aback, but he moved out of the door frame nonetheless. "There is a park he often likes to go to with Pess…he finds a seat in the more secluded part of the park. If you follow the road to the left, you'll find it easily." She told Phoenix and his face lit up,

"Thank you, Franziska!" he said gratefully, stepping out to open the umbrella.

"We'll stay and watch the house while you're gone, but Mr. Phoenix Wright, do not _dare_ show your face to me until you have retrieved Miles Edgeworth," she told him and Phoenix nodded as he headed out the door with Pess, the jacket, and the umbrella. "As much as I hate to admit it, Mr. Phoenix Wright is the one that will find Edgeworth. Little brother needs him more than he realizes…" Franziska said quietly to Shi-Long Lang, watching Phoenix run off into the distance.

Phoenix made it to the end of the walkway and turned left to walk along many of the other fancy estates in the area. For a long while he went on past the other deluxe dwellings, walking with Pess and allowing him to sniff Edgeworth's jacket every so often, though it was useless, just as Shi-Long Lang had pointed out. Just when he started to think that there was no park, the resident area came to a stop and opened up to a large green belt with trees scattered throughout and a sidewalk down the middle of the healthy grass, benches planted every so often along it. Pess easily recognized the place and started to tug against the hold Phoenix had on his leash. Phoenix allowed him to take the lead, hoping this would be where Edgeworth had run off to. If not, he had no idea where else to look for the man. _Hang in there, Edgeworth!_ He thought to himself as Pess led him far into the park. It was really the biggest park he had ever seen and it continued on for stretches, but the longer they ventured, the higher concentration of trees. It looked to Phoenix as though the park bordered just on the edge of a grove. When the sidewalk ended, Pess led Phoenix onto what would, under normal circumstances be a dirt trail. The main dirt trail continued on into the trees, but Pess veered off to the right in the slightest. The prosecutor's shepherd stirred up the closer they got to a small area more densely populated with trees than Phoenix had seen thus far and soon the dog stopped just short of it. It was almost like Phoenix was staring at the intermediate of the grove and the park. It was a small group of trees, much like a copse, all close together, making it hard to see past, and, as Phoenix drew near it, he saw the trees were almost bending in to create an archway. It wasn't until Phoenix stood directly in front of the sight that he realized the trees were surrounding a single, lone bench. And it was there, that a man in a white, dress shirt and scarlet pants sat, his head hung low as his right elbow rested on his knee while his left arm remained in its sling, his hands folded, his grayish hair and clothes all soaking wet, which was exactly what Phoenix had been afraid of.

Pess had whined excitedly and approached his owner with tail wagging, barely able to contain himself. He nudged at the right hand that was low enough for him to reach before sitting obediently next to his master, and it was then that Edgeworth noticed their presence. First, he looked at Pess, his loyal, adorable and dependable dog that he thought the world of. And then, he looked up slowly to find Phoenix Wright, former defense attorney. If it hadn't been for Phoenix moving the umbrella to shield Edgeworth from the rain, the prosecutor may not have taken notice so soon. It really was quite pointless, seeing as Edgeworth was already drenched, but to Phoenix, it wasn't, and to Edgeworth, it was more than just a courteous gesture, especially since Phoenix was now the one getting rained on.

"Whadaya say we head on home now…Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked him gently as he smiled warmly at the prosecutor. Phoenix's dark brown eyes met the gaze of Edgeworth's lifeless gray ones. Though he did not show it outwardly, it hurt Phoenix more than anything to see Edgeworth looking so lost and devoid of life. He waited patiently for an answer, but there came none. Instead, Edgeworth slowly lowered his head to stare back at the ground. That morning, Miles Edgeworth had been caught up in a rotten dream, and he didn't escape it until an earth-shaking thunder sounded, jolting him awake and having caused enough disturbance to convince Edgeworth that the thunder had been the equivalent of an earthquake. It had troubled him, but he could not bring himself to go to Wright, especially not after the night before. Franziska's words had still been bothering him. _"What if he had not come back?!... What will you do once you have healed!?"_ He couldn't forget the words, much less how much truth they had to them. He had left the house alone, coming here to seclude himself from the man he did not want to see disappear again for, he had no idea how long it would be the next time. He would not speak a word to Phoenix about how he truly felt, about what the issue truly was, but by now, Phoenix no longer needed him to. Edgeworth's actions had been enough to confirm Phoenix's previous conjecture he had ruled out because of his own cluelessness, not to mention how unbelievable it seemed in his mind. But he knew now. Phoenix knew now that Edgeworth felt for Phoenix the same way Phoenix felt for Edgeworth.

It was time for the former defense attorney to bring this case to a close. "Edgeworth, I'm sorry for leaving you alone all these years," he said as he kneeled, only to find Edgeworth's shocked expression looking straight at him. _Please don't push me away anymore_, Phoenix thought to himself, though he smiled sincerely at his childhood friend and the one he admired most in his life. "I never meant for this to happen. I guess I was just afraid of what you'd think once you knew I was no longer a lawyer…and I had Trucy to take care of, and ends I had to tie up. But I never forgot about you. I mean, how could I? After all, Miles Edgeworth, you are…the one I love." A soft blush powdered Phoenix's face as he lightly pressed his lips to Edgeworth's. It was a simple kiss, but enough to relay his feelings to his previous rival in court, and when he pulled back, he was happy to see the light had returned to Edgeworth's eyes, though his expression was full of pain. Edgeworth's bottom lip quivered and his hair fell in front of his eyes as he angled his head down in the slightest.

"…When all this is over will you leave again…?!" Edgeworth could only manage a whisper and he could not look at Phoenix at the moment, but it was clear that this question had been on his mind for a while now. Phoenix was a little stunned that Edgeworth had even asked such a question since the man usually refrained from anything that revealed his emotions, but, then again, Phoenix had seen Edgeworth in a whole different light over the past few days, and it made Phoenix happy to know that he cared so much. He took Edgeworth's right hand and stood up,

"No. I'm here to stay, so be prepared for all the trouble I'm bound to cause you," Phoenix joked a little and put his arm around Edgeworth once he rose to his feet to make sure he didn't collapse of a fever. He would get after Edgeworth later for going out in the pouring rain like that. He held the leash to Pess in the same hand and with his other, he kept the umbrella over them. "Now, let's go back," Phoenix said and noticed a smile, however small it may have been, cross the prosecutor's face.

"You are…as sharp as always, Wright. It makes me wonder….will you ever return to court?" Edgeworth spoke audibly now and he glanced over to look at Phoenix. Phoenix seemed to ponder, but then he smiled as well and looked down the road ahead of them,

"I'll have to think about it." He said honestly. Phoenix was too worried at the moment about how Trucy would react once he told her she had two "daddies" now. Though he didn't think it would be too much of a problem. He got the feeling that Edgeworth would be a great father.

END


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